Shea’s Buffalo Theatre’s Mighty Wurlitzer organ is marking its 100th birthday with a centennial concert Wednesday.
Richard Hills, who won the “Organist of the Year” award from the American Theatre Organ Society in 2010, will perform the centennial concert. Hills currently serves as organist at St. Mary’s Bourne Street in London and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists.
“This is probably going to be a career highlight for me,” said Hills. “The fact that this one is original to the theater, and that it's such a special instrument, and that it's 100 years old, all add together to make this a really special event for me.”
The Mighty Wurlitzer was installed at Shea’s during the theater’s reconstruction in 1925, according to the theater. It was built by the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company in Tonawanda.
The theater says its Wurlitzer is one of the best-preserved theater organs in the country.
“This instrument is very special, not just to Buffalo, and to people who are from this wonderful city, but also in terms of the wider world,” Hills said. “It's on the world stage in terms of the most fabulous theater organs out there.”
Because of how well preserved the organ is, Hills said audience members at the centennial will be able to hear the exact same sounds visitors experienced when the Might Wurlitzer was first installed 100 years ago.
“I hope the audience will be transported back in time,” Hills said when asked about he hopes concert attendees will hear at the event. “If they were to close their eyes, they would literally be hearing what they would have heard on opening night in 1926. It is that authentic. The sound of the organ hasn't changed in all of that time.”
Hills choose the program for the performance. He will spotlight Great American Songbook composers, with special recognition for musicians and shows that have appeared at Shea’s before.
At the event, Hills said audience members will get an experience that cannot be replicated.
“I really hope that people will enjoy coming, that they will make the effort to come and experience something that no recording, no YouTube stream can really replicate,” Hills said. “The sound of this instrument in this theater is unique.”